Espresso & Oat Truffles

We have been really obsessed with different kind of sweets and truffles this last month before Christmas. We’ll promise to contribute with more proper dinner recipes next year! But while it’s still 2009 we continue our Sweets-Without-Sugar-Crusade, how sweet is that?! Oat Truffles are a Classic Christmas treat in Denmark, here we’ve made our version with espresso, rolled oats and dates instead of butter and sugar. Try them, they’ll make a perfect match to the Warm Christmas Glogg!

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor for about 1 minute or until it forms up like a ball. Remove the knife blades from the food processor. Place the mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Then form 15 – 20 small round truffles with your hands; they should be half the size of a golf ball. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder, finely chopped almonds, shredded coconut or rolled oats. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving.

If you do not have a strong food processor or blender, just place your pitted dates on a plate and mash with a fork until they are sticky and smooth as caramel. Then add the rest of the ingredients and knead by hand until well combined. Place in the fridge and follow the steps above.

These are chilling in my fridge right now. As a child forced to eat dates at a variety of Jewish holiday lessons in Religious School, I always thought I hated the little sticky mummy fingers. I had a bunch of dates left over from a Tu B'Sh'vat lesson and just HAD to try this. I tasted the "batter" and it is heavenly. I am converted. I had to use butter since I didn't have any coconut oil on hand, but if I make them again, I'll pick some up at my food co-op.
-Alisa, in Philadelphia